Oregon daily emerald., May 21, 1974, Section B, Page 5, Image 13

-Candidates for governor
Propst:
will apply
pressure
where
needed
Al Propst, a democratic can
didate for governor who has a
background in the military police,
sees the current government of
Oregon as a corrupt political
machine. He says the corruption
evident today in Washington
started years ago on the local level
and continues there still.
According to the candidate, the
legal and medical professions in
particular are involved in covering
organized criminal activity that
permeates all aspects of
government. Propst, if elected,
plans to expose judges and at
in service to the community, and
to keep people from being "ripped
off by the government."
Another major concern- of
Propst's is the environment. He
wants chemicals to be thoroughly
researched in the laboratory
before they are put to use on
crops. He says the government
has been reckless in the use of
chemicals and University experts
should be employed to test and
determine which chemicals are
best. He is glad to see the use of
DDT curbed, but thinks the
substitute for it should be
guarenteed to protect the
honeybee.
Propst also says that extending
the current highway structure is a
mistake. More highways to Propst
mean more people in Oregon.
Buikling nuclear power plants is
another activity he is against. He
supports research into an
alternative to the gas engine, and
says that below-ground fuels
must be limited instead of above
ground fuels.
On the issue of marijuana, Propst
says he has no fight against the
drug itself. He doesn't believe it
should be legalized, but says the
offender is not made better by
being thrown in jail. Propst claims
drugs have been a tool that
Al Propst
torneys who are guilty of corrupt
power.
The governor is in a position to
apply pressure and Propst daims
to have enough knowledge to
apply pressure where it is needed.
For instance, he claims he could
stop attorneys who are covering
organized crime by “declining to
expose and purge their own
ranks."
When asked if he thought
McCall was doing anything about
corruption in his government,
Propst replied that McCall is guilty
of malfeasance in office because
he has been negligent in pursuing
corruption.
Furthermore, he said people are
being misused and hurt because
politicians aren't law abiding, and
because there is no com
munication between'’ the
government and the people.
Propst would install a "hot line"
to his office for all people to use at
all times. He sees himself as an
informed citizen who wishes to be
lawyers have used to gain per
sonal benefits; they have not
backed policemen who were
trying to make arrests, and they
have accepted payment in ex
change for non-prosecution of
offenders. Propst doesn't have a
clear solution to the problem, but
says that marijuana is all right as
long as it isn't hurting anyone,
and the punishment for offenders
should be determined in a
common sense manner by the
judges in each case.
And how does he feel about the
competition of the major can
didates? They are people who
don't seem formidable; they
decline to point out colleagues
who might be violating the law,
asserts Propst. If they continue to
say that Oregon has no Watergate
related crimes, Propst claims they
should be prosecuted for hin
dering prosecution...He says they
are either uninformed about the
corruption or preventing others
from exposing it. Lee Stevens
Roberts: she has an opinion
On everything from mass transit
to marijuana, abortion to alcohol,
Betty Roberts, Democratic
candidate for governor, has an
opinion.
Roberts, 50, has been a state
legislator since 1965 and cites her
experience in state politics as a
these men have just not done for
a number of years."
Roberts thinks the State
Legislature's move to make
Oregon's marijuana statute one of
the most liberal in the nation was
a good step.
"The law before was unen
Betty Roberts
reason why she thinks she is the
most qualified candidate for
governor. "The major difference
between the candidates is in
experience and qualifications.
Both (Robert) Straub and (James)
Redden are honest, honorable
people, but they have not been
involved in government for a
number of years."
Both Straub and Redden have
held the office of state treasurer
(Redden since 1972), but Roberts
says. "There are interim com
mittees that work, there are all the
speeches that have to be made,
and all the politicking that has to
be done to get re-elected that
forceable and when it was en
forceable, it was generally used
for harassment. I was really
delighted when Oregon realized
that we're not going to throw
people in jail for long periods of
time for the possession of small
amounts of marijuana."
She's not sure, however, if she
wants to see all the penalties
removed for its use. "It, at best,
should be regulated as alcohol."
Roberts says she has signed
every bill that has come before her
to lower the drinking age in
Oregon. She contends that, since
18-year-olds have all the rights
and responsibilities of older
people, then they also should be
allowed to drink. "I just don't see
any consistency in those who
argue, 'well, we'll let them do this,
but we won't let them drink.' "
The candidate is outspoken on
many issues, but believes three of
them, in particular, are the most
important: the energy crisis, the
environment, and employment.
She believes they are all related
issues, saying, "We need to really
be concerned about the
protection of the environment
while also looking for new energy
sources and also developing
industry."
Roberts' most recent political
posts have been as the co-chairer
of the McGovern presidential
campaign in Oregon and as
assistant state Senate majority
leader. Previously, she had been a
teacher of political science at
several Oregon high schools and
at Mt. Hood Community College.
Long known as an active
proponent of abortion law reform,
Roberts sees both good and bad
effects of the nation's current
"abortion on demand" situation.
"I have said over and over that I
believe that it is not a proper
subject for governmental
regulation. The only problem I see
is a situation where a doctor may
exercise poor judgement in the
timing of the termination of a
pregnancy." She has worked on
legislation which would prevent
abortions after several months of
pregnancy. "The only reason I
was willing to work on any type of
legislation dealing with abortion,
was to prevent some overzealous
doctor from terminating a
pregnancy right up to the moment
of birth."
Among many other topics
covered in her interview, was the
subject of public financing of
campaigns (she thinks the present
system of tax credits for small
donations is a good one), nuclear
power ("I hope the state never
looks on it as a solution to the
energy problem"), mass transit
(state funding should be used to
develop good mass transit
systems, according to Roberts)
and many, many others.
Dennis Pfaff
Pd for by Allan Coons for State Rep Committee, Courtney Shives,
Treasurer, 1775 N 5th St. Springfield, Or 97477
For State Representative
District 41
ALLAN COONS
Democrat
"There or* 3 Democratic candidate*: all
sincere and honest. I believe my years
of experience as a conservation activist
and attorney representing workers,
other Individuals, and cltixen's
organisations before various courts,
administrative agencies, and legis
lative committees have given me the
background to be the most effective
Representative. Moreover, I believe I
am the strongest Democrat In the field
to challenge the Incumbent in
November."